THE BOY WHO CAUGHT BEES

Dear L.

There was a single tree on the trail up the dunes. It the only place to hide for miles, it was in bloom and it looked totally out of place. The pollinators were busy pollenating and it made me think of the autistic boy who used to watch the bees… reaching out and catching them by the wing so gentle and precise, then releasing them back into the air. He never got stung. The bees never got hurt. He understood them so well.

The desert really messes with your perception of how far away something is from where you are standing. There are no visual references for distance. Sometimes, when I’m out walking it feels like I could get to the mountains if I just reached out my arm far enough. But I would have to reach out as far as a whole day of walking would take me to even get to their base. The dunes are no exception, my eyes just don’t work here. So, I am moving my body through them to figure it out.